Also, in the My Pet Dungeon module of the game, you can customize the action to your heart's content. Speaking of skirmishes, Dungeon Keeper 2 provides you with the wherewithal to practice against just about any foe you wish. If only there was some way to apply it to the big, sweaty piles of combatants during especially large skirmishes. Information screens, on-screen pop up data and extremely handy conventions for finding particular creatures within your ever-expanding dungeon are just a few of the extraordinary game management functions. With the enormous number of creatures to keep track of, this aspect is handled in an amazingly fluid and seamless manner. Examples include the unobtrusive and clever way you are informed of new events occurring in your realm, the announcement of new creatures as they become available and viewing perspectives that seem unlimited.
Some interface changes are quite inspired. Beyond this one gripe, DK2 shines in all respects. But, this in no way denigrates the efforts the designers made and credit should be given where it is due. Unfortunately, as good as they are, the end result is still a combat system that can be so wildly chaotic that you eventually throw up your hands and simply hope for the best. As combat was something of a sore point in the original game, Bullfrog addressed the problem and made several innovative and very welcome changes. The ultimate goal, of course, remains fairly consistent with the original game, namely, to beat the stuffing out of those creatures and nasty enemy lords who presume to encroach upon your territory. If that doesn't float your boat, you can design diabolical traps, create magic doors and torture chambers, apply your "landscape" development skills and perform dozens of other capabilities much too numerous to list here. The basic pleasures of playing the game are found in building your dungeon's many rooms and catering to and supervising all the various minions available (and more become available as you progress in the game, which is a very nice design feature). Unlike the first game, DK2 possesses a fairly comprehensive storyline, but chances are not too many fans will really care that much about it. The designers built 3D acceleration into the game's coding and the results are phenomenal. Quite simply put, DK2 is a visual delight in nearly every way. Tremendous strides forward in the graphics and ease of management showcase the beautifully articulated surroundings, as much as an underground dungeon set in the bowels of the Earth can be. The environment in DK2 is almost too perfect for words.
Be careful, though, since unsupervised training can result in the death of fighting partners. The training pit is even more important because when creatures reach a certain level, they can't advance any further unless they partake in the training sessions you set up for them. The casino keeps idle creatures busy and, in a backhanded (get my drift?) sort of way, earns you more money, as simply smacking lucky casino winners makes them drop their loot. For example, you can now build a casino and a training pit - both integral aspects to being successful. Of course, you'll design traps, provide "work" for the exquisitely designed creatures, quickly learn to smack them around to make them do your bidding and occasionally "possess" one of them in order to handle things on a more personal basis from a first-person perspective.īullfrog obviously listened to consumer feedback and adjusted and tweaked many of the aspects of gameplay.
What's right with DK2? Just about everything except the somewhat anti-climactic battles that occur when you've finished hacking your dungeon's many required rooms out of solid rock that cater to an extremely diverse and magnificently rendered population. Dungeon Keeper 2 is a case where the means don't quite justify the end but the means are so fulfilling that you may not really care. However, that isn't intended to discourage fans of the first game because the overall presentation is nothing short of fantastic. But, therein lies the tiniest part of a problem with Dungeon Keeper 2 - in certain ways it is simply more of the same. Anyone who has ever played Bullfrog's original Dungeon Keeper will have some idea about what's in store for them in the sequel.